Waste Management

As I advised back in July, Phase 2 of the changes to recycling and bin collection arrangements starts on 9th November and represents a significant change in bin/recycling arrangements for households.

In Phase 2 of are the areas around Tullideph, Pentland, City Road, Brook Street, the eastern part of Blackness Road, Peddie Street, South Tay Street and Windsor Street.

Last night, I attended part of one of the roadshows taking place across the Phase 2 area. Last night’s was at the Mitchell Street Centre and was well-attended with well over 40 folk attending. It gave residents the opportunity to find out more about the changes and get their questions answered.

Phase 2 – at least as far as the West End Ward part of it is concerned – probably presents more of an implementation challenge than the properties in Phase 1 given the large number of tenemental and flatted properties where, in many cases, the new system will involve communal facilities.

It is therefore welcome that the council is holding no less than eight roadshows across the Phase 2 area. There are more next week – see poster with full details here.

Back in July, I updated residents about the areas of the West End covered by Phase 2 of changes to bin and recycling collection arrangements. The changes are effective from 9th November :

It was originally envisaged that the areas covered in the West End in Phase 2 would be most of the east and north of the West End Ward, although the Environment Department decided to exclude the areas immediately north and south of the Perth Road district shopping centre, which is to be included in a future phase.

You can see a map of the areas that are in Phase 2 in the West End in my earlier update here.

Various roadshows are taking place – some in the West End Ward – see below – all residents are very welcome to attend:

Last week, I advised of the rollout of Phase 2 of the recycling extension and changes to bin arrangements that will start in November. As I pointed out, in Phase 2 are the areas around Tullideph, Pentland, City Road, Brook Street, eastern part of Blackness Road, Peddie Street, South Tay Street and Windsor Street.

However, there is a significant change to the Phase 2 that was originally agreed at council committee in that the Perth Road Lanes and surrounding area is now excluded, something I mentioned last week that I had queried with the Environment Department.

I have now been advised by the department:

“The inclusion of the Perth Road lanes into future phases will be dependant on routing changes as each phase progresses so whilst I cannot, at this stage, be specific in advising which phase these will be part of, I can advise that it’s highly unlikely that they will be included in Phase 3 (February 2016) as this corresponds to a different area of the city.

At the very latest, these lanes would be provided with their new services as part of Phase 6 (March 2017) but this may happen much sooner if routing changes as part of Phases 4 or 5 (June & December 2016 respectively) allow these to be included here.

As we progress with planning each phase we will be able to provide more updates on areas included – please note that the implementation dates given are approximate & may be subject to change.”

Yesterday, the City Council announced the detail of Phase 2 of the changes to bin collection and recycling arrangements for the West End (and parts of the Lochee Ward). The Environment Department advises me that :

“Arrangements for Phase 2

• First collections – these will start w/c Monday 9th November 2015.

• Bin deliveries – these will take place during the two weeks prior to commencement (w/c 26th October & w/c 2nd November).Combined collection calendars and full service information leaflets will also be delivered during this period.

• Teaser leaflets –Phase 2 residents will have received notification of the forthcoming changes via a “teaser” leaflet to be delivered mid-September – this leaflet will advertise local roadshows and events, as well as providing information on the new service. This information will also signpost residents to the council website, e-mail address and phone line, should they have any queries.

• Consultation and engagement – a range of consultation & engagement activities will be ongoing throughout the phase 2 area during the summer and autumn, with residents notified of meetings & events via press, local advertising and, where applicable, by letter. We will, of course, notify Councillors in the affected areas of any meetings, roadshows or events taking place within their ward.”

Main features include :

• Weekly separate food waste collection

• Increased range of materials accepted in blue bins. This is currently used for paper and card but will be able to also accept plastics and metal. Frequency of uplifts to change from 4-weekly to 2-weekly

In phase 2 of are the areas around Tullideph Pentland City Road Brook Street, eastern part of Blackness Road, Peddie Street, South Tay Street and Windsor Street. There is a significant change to the Phase 2 that was originally agreed at council committee in that the Perth Road Lanes and surrounding area is now excluded, something I have queried with the Environment Department.

A plan showing the areas that are included is below – although you can click here to download a high-definition PDF map that allows you to zoom to show particular streets :

Last night’s Evening Telegraph article also highlighted my concerns about the continued inadequate serving of the Roseangle Recycling Centre. This has been an on-going issue and I have received the following assurance from the City Council :

“We will be reconfiguring the bin types and capacities at Roseangle over the coming days. This work is currently being scheduled.”

As you can see (below) the Roseangle centre was given a tidy up earlier this week following my raising the latest concern :

I have also been promised similar attention to the overflowing centre at Kings Cross Road, following a complaint to me about it from a City Road constituent who uses that centre regularly.

I previously mentioned the concerns raised by residents in Blackness Road west of Ashbank Road (on the north side and east of Balgay Road) about how the new arrangements are proposed to affect them.

Eurobins were proposed but this was a stretch of Blackness Road where the current collection arrangements were working well, with few if any bins left permanently on the pavement.

A consultation meeting took place late last month which I and local residents attended and council officers listened carefully to residents’ views. I am pleased to say that the Environment Department has now revised the proposals here to :

Further to my latest update about the changes to general waste and recycling arrangements in a large part (but not all) of the West End, the council has arranged roadshows for residents (and for those in parts of Broughty Ferry similarly affected).

There will be two events at Blackness Primary School – details below – all residents welcome :

* A briefing at lunchtime for councillors whose wards are affected by Phase 1 of the new bin collection and recycling arrangements and an opportunity for us to raise questions and seek assurances for constituents. Any resident with a concern or a query is welcome to either call me direct on 459378 or the Environment Department on 436289.

* An afternoon meeting of the Time2Give timebank committee for the West End. Timebanking is a means of exchange used to organise people and organisations around a purpose, where time is the principal currency. For every hour participants ‘deposit’ in a timebank, perhaps by giving practical help and support to others, they are able to ‘withdraw’ equivalent support in time when they themselves are in need. In each case the participant decides what they can offer.

It is a great, community-based, concept and Time2Give is going from strength to strength. Much credit recently goes to Claire who has voluntarily been managing the timebank recently. You can read more about Time2Give here.

* Tonight I attended a meeting at Blackness Library organised by the Environment Department for residents in Blackness Road west of Ashbank Road (on the north side and east of Balgay Road) about how the new bin/recycling arrangements are proposed to affect them. It was a useful discussion and I was pleased that council officers listened carefully to the points made by residents and promised to take them on board in the roll-out of the new arrangements.